Cross Competencies in Alberta

In 2016, the Alberta Government is going to remove the "silos of learning" occurring in our schools.  No longer will only the English teachers teach literacy, and the Math teachers teach numeracy.  Here is an example of a problem that a student could face, with examples of how different grades could react to this problem.

Your community is planning to build a new recreation centre and is looking for residents of the area to share ideas.  You have the opportunity to offer your suggestions to the planning committee.  Think about the activities you would like to do at the centre.  Research what other communities offer at their recreation centres.  Considering the needs and interests of your community, select a format that will best communication your ideas to the planning committee.  Use your research to support your ideas.

Examples of how certain grades could address this task.

Grade 1- "We looked at pictures of really cool rec centres.  Then we drew pictures of things we want in our new rec centre like indoor soccer fields and rinks for learning to skate."

Grade 8- "I worked collaboratively with my skateboarding friends to create a PowerPoint presentation for the committee.  We would like a skateboarding park because we need a safe place to ride and learn new tricks."

Grade 12-"I wrote a speech advocating for a public library in the centre, recorded it as a podcast, and submitted a copy to the planning committee"

As you can see that the passions and interests of the students are just as important as the learning outcomes and content of the lesson.  Also you can see how many subject areas could be involved in this problem.  In 2016, cross-curricular competencies will be implemented.  Here is a diagram of the competencies.

How will these fit in with "Learning Outcomes" and the "Literacy and Numeracy" Benchmarks?  Here is another diagram showing the connection.

Larger shoes makes your child smarter!

Yes that is right, the larger the shoe of the student the better the child is at math.

Of course you are asking, where is your proof?

Well, I tested students in a K-12 School on basic math skills.  I then ranked them according to shoe size, and I noticed that the larger the shoe, the better the score...on average of course.


If you buy this research, then I have to inform you it is bogus, however if you knew right away there were some critical flaws then I invite you to read on.




See there are more variables at play then simply shoe size.  Age, years in school, gender, socio-economic status, language, etc are just some of the other variables.  However critics of new math are using this same logic above to make claims that the new curriculum is making our students less smart.

See, PISA is a test administered every 4 years and since the last test marks have dropped by 6%.  First, there is a problem with using PISA  and next a lot has changed in our Country, schools, and communities then simply math instruction.

Should we ignore every other variable and pick one out of a hat and attribute this change to it?  If so, then we can also prove that shoe size is linked to math scores.  However we need to realize that in the last 4 years,

• Class sizes have increased
• Immigration population has increased
• English Language learners population has increased
• Education Funding has been reduced.
• Special education projects, such as AISI in Alberta, has gone to 0
• Our culture has changed

This is to name a few.  Lastly, if they want to blame the new math curriculum, because it doesn't "teach the basics", you might want to know that the students who wrote the last PISA test.......were taught the basics under the old math curriculum.

Case for the new math curriculum

I have seen many pictures, articles, and petitions on why the new math needs to leave our schools.  Here is a quick explanation, and "Myths around the new math curriculum".

First, I want to ask you to determine what is

82-19


Take a moment and complete it.  Don't worry there is no test, just please don't use a calculator.


The answer is 63.  Now did you:

1) Borrow one from the 8 to get 7(12)-19, then say the ones are 3 and then 7-1 is 6, so the answer is 63?

2) Did you add 1 to 19 to get 20, then added 60 to get 80, then added 2.  Finally, added 1+60+2 to get 63?

3) Did subtract 20 from 82 to get 62, then added 1 to get 63?

4)Did you do it a different way?

Finally, which way is the best way?  Which way should your child learn?

If you answered "NUMBER 1 MUST BE THE WAY TO DO IT" you are in favor of the old math curriculum.

If you answered "Number 1,2,3, or 4 is a way to do it" then you are in favor of the new math curriculum.

Myth: Discovery Math is a mandatory strategy to be used in K-12 curriculum.
Fact: "Discovery" or any synonym, cannot be found anywhere in the curriculum at all.  The government tells the teachers WHAT to teach, but not HOW to teach.

Myth: The teachers are simply no longer teaching children.
Fact: The teachers are not teaching each child the same.  Differentiated instruction is now part of the classroom. Students A, and B may be taught differently; one with manipulatives, one with without, based on the needs of the child.

Myth:Children don't need basic math facts.
Fact: Basic math facts are part of the curriculum.

Myth: Students are becoming dumber.
Fact: While the PISA score has dropped 2%, the students who wrote the last PISA test were taught in the old curriculum.  Therefore, if you think this is a problem you should be advocating for the new math.

Myth: Teachers hate the new math.
Fact: Teachers have the choice and autonomy to teach however they want, and therefore some extremely creative and innovative things are occurring in classrooms.

Lastly, if your child comes home with a different way of completing math than you were taught, then ask them to explain how they are solving the problem.  Lets not forget that there is not only ONE way to solve a problem.

We all decide the weighting of our standardized exams.

In Alberta, our Grade 12 diplomas are weighted at 50% and the teacher awarded mark is weighted at 50% mark...on a child's transcript.  Now I will make a case that, even though the government has decided this, it is truly up to each stakeholder in education who determines how much this weighting truly is.

First off, the teachers:

It is up to the individual teacher how much the diploma is weighted in your teaching, your assessment, and your daily dealings with the students.  I have seen anywhere from 0%-100%.

What does 100% look like?

Well, very simple.  This classroom teacher puts emphasis on the same outcomes, which are emphasized on the diploma.  This teacher will give only multiple choice exams, as this is the style the diploma is.  The questions used on these assessments are mainly previously used diploma questions, identical to released items from the government, and only questions that will assist the child write the diploma.  This classroom is designed around the "competitive" nature of education.

What does 0% look like?

Again, very simple.  This teacher puts emphasis on the outcomes which will assist them in the next level of the course, or in life.  (Of course, both teachers could have overlap on some outcomes).  The assessments are mainly performance based or written.  The questions asked are created in a way that students can be creative in the solving of the problem, and the answer does not need to be a specific number to be correct.  This classroom is designed around the "collaborative" approach to education.

Lastly, you could have a a hybrid of these approaches in the classroom.

Next, Post Secondaries:

What does 100% look like?

Well these simply ignore the assessment of the classroom teacher and simply use the diplomas as their entrance requirement.

What does 0% look like?

We look to, University of Saskatchewan, which ONLY looks at the teacher assessment if a students mark on the diploma is less than the teacher awarded mark.  (Good Job U of S!)

Third, we have Parents and outside School:

What does 100% look like? 

We have things like the Fraser Institute which ranks schools districts based on standardized tests.  The Fraser Institute ignores the make up of the classes, the teacher's assessment, and only judges the quality of education based on how well the students do on a standardized exam.

There are also people in the public, who hold teachers accountable by the marks the students get on a standardized exam.

What does 0% look like?

We look to Finland, who has exchanged the "accountability" with "responsibility".  There are parents who ignore the mark their children get on a diploma, and are more concerned with "How much does my child enjoy going to school?"

As you can see, it is up to the individual person to determine how much the diploma is worth.